McDonald's Is Using AI to Dynamically Price Its Burgers

Commenters react to reports of McDonald’s using AI for dynamic pricing by sharing personal experiences and anger over perceived price discrimination. donmcronald says they observed app prices higher for a location near a high school and accuses McDonald’s of “price gouging,” describing a family boycott. crmd laments that McDonald’s lost its fun, whimsical vibe and now feels like the DMV, while jerlam compares the shift to Starbucks, arguing that optimization for online and drive-through orders has sacrificed the brand experience.

Others raise legal and market-structure concerns. stubish contends that corporate direction allowing franchises to “determine the final price” effectively forces collusion and could read as creating an illegal cartel if head office sets prices for competing franchisees; they say that would create liability for whoever is left holding the bag. stubish also expresses surprise the market tolerated franchised price-setting and points to widely accepted location-based price differences like airports, arguing consumers often react by avoiding higher-priced outlets. ChrisArchitect simply notes earlier coverage, signaling this discussion is already in motion elsewhere.